PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONJP / RACE GUIDE

Saga Sakura Marathon

Name: 【さが桜マラソン2026】大会レポート｜おいしい佐賀！ご当地エイド満喫してきた🍓
Uploaded: 2026-04-21
Description: The Saga Sakura Marathon is held on an officially certified 42.195km course linking Saga and Kanzaki, and will take place on March 21, 2027. The course passes rows of cherry trees, Yoshinogari Histori

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Saga
JP

Pekachu · CC BY-SA 4.0Pekachu · CC BY-SA 4.0Pekachu · CC BY-SA 4.0Fg2 · Public domainPeka · CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 161 days: Mar 21, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Saga · 42.195km · 10km · 1.5km
Entry fee: ¥14,500Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedThu, October 1, 2026 ~ Fri, October 2, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 11, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

The Saga Sakura Marathon is held on an officially certified 42.195km course linking Saga and Kanzaki, and will take place on March 21, 2027.

The course passes rows of cherry trees, Yoshinogari Historical Park and broad rural scenery.

The 42.195km field is capped at 8,500 runners.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

もーかーRan in 2026 · Finish time 5:42:31

“Aid stations called aid station appear at intervals of about 2 km.”

The runner finished the marathon in 2026 in 5 hours 42 minutes 31 seconds (net time: 5 hours 34 minutes 35 seconds). Local foods such as Kanzaki somen, Ogi yokan, and pudding were served at 16 aid stations, so in the latter half it felt as though the aid stations were lined up one after another. The runner walked from the uphill section before 22 km to inside the Yoshinogari Historical Park. It began raining heavily after 30 km, but the runner regained energy when reaching the riverside cherry-tree-lined road. Some spectators saw the place of origin written on the runner's bib and called out, “They’re from Tokyo!”

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

2キロくらいの間隔で給水所という名の給食所が続く

Read the original on note

せいちゃんRan in 2026 · Finish time 4:00:10

“I chased the pace pacer and ran with the last of my strength.”

The runner finished the sixth race, the 2026 full marathon, in 4 hours 0 minutes 10 seconds (net time: 3 hours 57 minutes 57 seconds). The weather was cloudy at first and then rainy. At the aid stations, the runner had a sports drink and Kyushu's specialty ice cream, Black Mont Blanc. The course is known for its flatness and fast times, but things did not go as planned this time, and the runner missed a 4-hour gross time by 10 seconds.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

ペースセッターを追いかけて最後の力を振り絞って走りました

Read the original on Ameba Blog

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Highlights

【公式】さが桜マラソン · Highlights

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

First come, first served · Marathon entry has closed

It ran Oct 1, 2026–Oct 2, 2026.
Check separately whether other entry routes are open and spots remain.

Registration history · The 2027 race opened entry on Thu, October 1, 2026

First come, first served · Marathon

Entry cost ¥14,500

Online registration from 12:00 on 2026-10-01 to 23:59 on 10-21, on a first-come, first-served basis (RUNNET for domestic participants)

Born on or before 2008-04-01 · Field limited to 8,500 entries;

registration closes early when the limit is reached

Organizer's page

First come, first served · 10K

Entry cost ¥6,000

Fun Run approximately 10 km — first-come, first-served registration during the same period

Born before 2011-04-01 · Field limit: 1,500 · Overseas residents: ¥9,000 (+14% fee)

Organizer's page

Overseas residents

Entry cost ¥19,500

First-come, first-served registration through RUN JAPAN during the same period

14% fee charged separately · bib must be collected in person at SAGA Arena from 3/20 to 3/21

Organizer's page

International travel agency

Entry cost ¥19,500

Overseas residents register via Run Japan; Entry fee is 19,500 yen.

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 09:00

Time limit6 hours 30 minutes

Full marathon 6 hours 30 minutes · Fun Run 1 hour 45 minutes

Event	Start	Time limit	Entry fee	Field size
マラソン (42.195km)42.195km	09:00	6:30 h	¥14,500	8,500
ファンラン (約10km)10km	—	—	¥6,000	1,500

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

National Route 263 in front of SAGA Sunrise Park

FINISH

SAGA Stadium

Cutoff
4.3km 09:55 · 8.7km 10:30 · 10.5km 10:45 · 14.5km 11:20 · 24km 12:43 · 27.4km 13:13 · 33km 14:04 · 37km 14:41 · 40.6km 15:15

Runners start · local time — 09:00 full marathon starts — Fun Run (approximately 10km) starts behind full marathon

Start line is placed on National Route 263 in front of Saga Sunrise Park, and course passes through Saga City and Kanzaki City before finishing at Saga Stadium.

As one of the flattest course in Japan, it places little strain on runners from ups and downs, and the course continues past cherry blossom-lined streets,

Yoshinogari Historical Park, and broad rural scenery where the movement of the wind can be felt.

The time limit for the 42.195km category is 6 hours 30 minutes.

The 2027 race will start at 9:00 a.m. on March 21.

In addition to full marathon (capacity 8,500),

an approximately 10km Fun Run (capacity 1,500) that runs the first part of full marathon will start after full marathon,

and a new approximately 1.5km pair event for junior high school students and younger together with a guardian has also been added.

In full marathon, there are 9 cut-off point from 4.3km to 40.6km, and the 24km cut-off point inside Yoshinogari Historical Park closes at 12:43.

16 water stations will be installed in course.

Field size: Marathon 8,500 runners, Fun Run 1,500 runners
Typical race-season temperature: around 8°C (47°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Marathon

Water stations

Finisher medal

Marathon

Finisher certificate

Bag drop

Changing rooms

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Participants in Japan receive bib by post, while overseas participants receive it on site.
A changing area is also available at SAGA Arena.
3/20(Sat) 10:00~17:00, 3/21(Sun) ~08:00 (Overseas participant registration)

SAGA Arena

2-1-10 Hinode, Saga

Google Maps

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startJR Saga Station

Source · checked Sep 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

JR Saga Station

Saga Station is the access point for the venue. The organizers publish a walking map from Saga Station to SAGA Arena (2-1-10 Hinode), where overseas runners check in and changing areas are available.

The start is on National Route 263 in front of SAGA Sunrise Park, next to the arena.

Map

Getting to the finish

JR Saga Station

The finish is at SAGA Stadium, in the same SAGA Sunrise Park complex as the start.

Map

Road closures

Information on transportation options such as Nishitetsu Travel charter buses

Source · checked Sep 22, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

This spring race starts at 9:00 am on 21 March.

Choose your starting clothes according to the temperature on race day, and you can use SAGA Arena as a changing area.

Men use the main arena, and women use the sub-arena.

There are scheduled to be 16 aid stations on course, so when planning your fueling strategy, set the intervals for drinking water based on their locations.

Overseas participants complete bib and race confirmation at the help desk in front of the entrance on the first floor of Saga Arena.

These procedures are available from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on 20 March and until 8:00 am on race day.

Participants in Japan receive bib by post in late February without on-site registration.

Since start line is in front of Saga Sunrise Park,

it is best to choose accommodation while considering both access to the help desk and travel to the start area.

The timing chip is integrated into the athlete bib rather than being attached to the shoe.

There are no standard baggage lockers, but you can check one envelope measuring 33×24cm containing valuables.

Times are local to Saga. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Guest House NUZZO

Accommodation · 116m

7.1/10(27)

View on Booking.com

Fukuoka Tenjin Branch: Ultimate Dry Head Spa & Body Relaxation

₩64,661

Saga Sakura Marathon

About Saga Sakura Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run